Gay vs. straight
I was recently asked by a friend of the family my thoughts on Gay vs. straight when it comes to relationships. With all the controversy concerning same sex marriage going on in the news and around the country right now many people have questions and opinions about both sides.
Let me begin by saying that I believe there are two ways to look at this, spiritually and as the world may see it. Let’s take a look at both sides. We will start with the spiritual teachings of the Bible. After God had created the heavens and the earth He then created man in his own image
Genesis 1:27-28 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
To go into a little more detail we can look forward in scripture to Genesis 2:18 where God creates Adam a helper. And just a side note here, God did not say a maid or slave but helper as in equal to partner. Man does not rule over women.
Further on we find God puts Adam to sleep to make a woman. It’s interesting that woman was created from man and everything prior was created from the dust of the ground which puts deeper meaning on verse 24 where it says ”they became one flesh”.
Genesis 2:21-23 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman, ‘for she was taken out of man.”
God made a woman from man indicated by the word “Her” in verse 22. Verse 24 wraps it up with the vision of a Godly marriage where man leaves home and is joined with her in marriage and becomes one again.
Then looking back in Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number”. If God had intended for both heterosexual and homosexual marriage, He would have designed our bodies to allow reproduction through both sexes and made both means of sexual intercourse healthy and natural.
It’s obvious that in a homosexual relationship reproduction cannot be accomplished. It’s also pointed out in scripture that it is physically dangerous for two men to be together. In Romans 1:27 “in the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error”.
Now some try to defend this verse by saying that Christians misinterpret it and say that “Paul was not talking about gays and lesbians then so he can’t be talking about them now” so to further cement this foundation we find several more verses of scripture.
In Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination Verse 29-30 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 20:13 if a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Also in Gen 19:4-25, 1 Timothy 1:9-10, 1 Cor 6:9-10.
But, there is a problem with all of this. The problem comes when one of two things happen. One a person either does not believe in the Bible or is misled in the interpretation of it. Now you’re probably saying about right now that how do I know that “I” am not misled? I will tell you that my research comes from many different sources. Regardless let’s take a look at some modern day research.
Source: 2003-2004 Gay/Lesbian Consumer Online Census
Compared to traditional marriage which currently holds an average of approximately 50% divorce rate you can see that in the homosexual relationship only approx. 5% remain in place, a 95% fail rate. This is mainly due to the fact that God made man and woman different for a reason. A woman is built to complete a man and vice versa. No matter how feminine a man make himself or how manly a woman tries to be you will never be able to be fulfilled in the relationship. Something will always be missing.
There is another area that’s even more at risk than the lack of a compatible relationship and that is the health risk associated with same sex relationships. Even those homosexual relationships that are loosely termed “monogamous” do not necessarily result in healthier behavior. The evidence indicates that homosexual and lesbian relationships are at far greater risk for contracting life-threatening disease compared to heterosexual married couples.
A study by the Dutch Department of Health and Environment found that 67 percent of HIV-positive men aged 30 and younger, had been infected by a steady partner. The study concluded: “In recent years, young gay men have become more likely to contract HIV from a steady sexual partner than from a casual one.
Homosexual men are at significantly increased risk for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, anal cancer, gonorrhea and gastrointestinal infections. (http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/docs/2012/CDC-MSM-0612-508.pdf )
Women who have sex with women are at significantly increased risk of bacterial vaginosis, breast cancer and ovarian cancer than are heterosexual women. (http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/lesbian-bisexual-health.cfm)
Research also indicates a very high level of violence in homosexual and lesbian relationships. A study in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence examined conflict and violence in lesbian relationships. The researchers found that 90 percent of the lesbians surveyed had been recipients of one or more acts of verbal aggression from their intimate partners during the year prior to this study, with 31 percent reporting one or more incidents of physical abuse. (http://jiv.sagepub.com/content/21/2/193.abstract)
Throughout my many years of sale I have learned one thing; people will do just about anything to get what they think they can’t have. As far as a homosexual relationship goes a couple holds a very slim and risky chance of it ever working out so what is all the hype? They want to be married because it’s something they can’t have so they will have to challenge and change history before that can happen, then what? If it’s just about being together well they can do that already.
No marriage can be sanctioned by the Church if the very basis of the marriage involves acts that put the couple outside of eternal salvation. No matter what our society may legislate, the law of God is clear—that a marriage is not a godly marriage if it is a same sex union. You can’t avoid the “Marriage” issue by just not getting married either. Regardless of whether you are gay or straight a relationship that is sexually active outside of marriage is called adultery. Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. This is just as much of a sin against God as same sex relationships.
One post by ChristianAnswers.net says it all. “Marriage is not based on emotion any more than any other partnership in life is. Marriage, like many human activities, involves emotion but it is not constituted by the presence of any particular set of emotions”. Research indicates that’s most relationships fail due to irreconcilable differences, or “We just couldn’t get along. The truth is all that happened is the newness has worn off (the honey moon ended). When the honey moon ends and life begins then that’s when most marriages do as well.
One last thought. Recently I saw a picture on Face Book that an apparent lesbian woman was holding a sign defending her god.
While I agree with her on the fact that “My Jesus isn’t a H8er”. (H8er = hater, lol) Jesus does not hate people but sin. I would have to be concerned, however, over the “My Jesus” part because going back to God’s word it is clear that a person that has truly accepted Christ in their heart will begin to be transformed by the word of God and not be conformed to the world.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The first is a yielded body, the second a separated life, and the third a transformed mind. A person that has accepted Christ will follow these steps and will begin to take the necessary changes in their life to be transformed. Anyone who can continue to live a life that is obviously against the bible should take a long hard look at the authenticity of their salvation. It’s very clear that same sex relationships and adultery is NOT of God’s word and is a sin against God.
Tommy Eldridge
Life after the Altar ministry
www.LifeaftertheAltar.com
Okay, so I posted this picture of my hammer a few days ago on Face Book. I was curious just how many people saw it and wondered why I painted “Faith” on the handle or how many might have just over looked it. Let me tell you the story behind the red “Faith”.
many hours on it. Although old and quite used it still servers its purpose well today. Regardless of how well it still works there is one requirement however, I have to pick it up and swing it for it to properly serve it intended use.
they 
